Field notes
Staging vouchers before a funder site visit
A practical staging order for invoices, payroll allocations, and bank proofs when a grant compliance visit is weeks away.
Two weeks is not long enough if your archive lives in three rooms and two partner schools. Begin with the periods the funder named in the visit notice. Pull the general ledger for the award code first; only then chase invoices. Teams that start with a random stack of receipts lose days matching them to ledger lines.
Label folders by cost category in the approved budget, not by supplier name. Auditors and programme officers think in budget lines. Inside each folder, keep the invoice, contract or purchase order, payment proof, and any approval email together — one staple or one clip per transaction.
Payroll charged to the grant needs its own pack: timesheets or effort certifications, salary proofs, and the allocation worksheet that explains why 40% of a coordinator’s month sits on this award. Missing allocation logic is one of the most common mid-visit interruptions we see in Taipei fieldwork.
If partners hold original stamps, schedule courier or on-site days early. Do not assume scanned copies will satisfy a funder that asked for originals in the award letter.